我忘了
wǒ wàng le
The English phrase "I forgot" is translated into Chinese as 我忘了 (wǒ wàng le).
A phrase used to say that one cannot remember a piece of information or failed to do something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I/me), 忘 (to forget) and 了 (a particle indicating a completed action or change of state).
Which one should you use?
While 我忘了 implies the act of forgetting something (often a task or a specific piece of info), 我不记得了 is more commonly used to mean "I don't recall/remember it right now".
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 了 (le) is used here to indicate that the act of forgetting has already occurred.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ wàng le
Did you know?
- The word for 'forget' 忘 is a core part of the phrase 忘年之交, which describes a friendship between two people with a large age difference who 'forget' the years between them.
- While 我忘了 is standard, a person might say 我给忘了 to emphasize that the forgetting happened accidentally or unintentionally, as if the memory was 'given away' or lost.
- If you want to say you 'forgot' a name, using 我忘了 might imply you have permanently lost the information, whereas 我想不起来了 specifically conveys the feeling of the information being 'on the tip of your tongue'.
Examples in context
- 我忘了問他。I forgot to ask him.This sentence shows how to use 我忘了 with a verb to say you forgot to ask someone.Tatoeba #6332401 by verdastelo9604, translation #354494 by plover
- 我忘了問湯姆。I forgot to ask Tom.This sentence demonstrates using 我忘了 when forgetting to ask a specific person.Tatoeba #5694499 by verdastelo9604, translation #3172152 by CK
- 我忘了給他打電話。I forgot to call him.This sentence illustrates using 我忘了 to explain forgetting to perform a task like calling someone.Tatoeba #8091295 by jenny5752, translation #3919001 by CH
- 对不起，我忘了。Sorry, I forgot.
- 我真是忘记了，太丢人了。I really forgot, it's so embarrassing.
- 真的不好意思，我把那个给忘了。I'm really sorry, I forgot about that.
- 咦，我居然没记住。Oops, I actually didn't remember.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At home, Jia Yi is asking Wei about the keys.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你帶鑰匙了嗎？Nǐ dài yàoshi le ma?Did you bring the keys?
- 伟 Wei對不起，我忘了。Duìbuqǐ, wǒ wàng le.Sorry, I forgot.
- 佳怡 Jiayi沒關係，我們回去拿吧。Méi guānxi, wǒmen huíqù ná ba.It's okay, let's go back and get them.
- 伟 Wei好，謝謝妳。Hǎo, xièxie nǐ.Okay, thank you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
